UNIT-7 PROSE
ON SAYING PLEASE
Warm-up activity :
Here is a list of actions in column A and reactions in column B. Match them.
1) people standing in a queue – b) you take your place and wait for your turn
2) you dash against someone – c) you apologize saying sorry
3) parents scolding you – d) you put forward your reasons in a polite manner
4) the person at the cash counter gives you your change- a) you say, ‘thank you’
Comprehension :
C1. Answer the following questions in a word, a phrase or a sentence each.
1.) Why was the passenger thrown out of the lift?
Answer: The passenger said “Top” instead of “Top please” to the lift-man and the lift-man felt insulted so he was thrown out of the lift.
2.) What would happen if we were given the liberty to box people’s ears?
Answer: If we were given the liberty to box people’s ears then our fists would never be idle and the gutters of the city would run with blood all day.
3.) What can the law not compel us to do?
Answer: The law cannot compel us to say ‘please’ to others.
4.) What, according to the author is the difference between physical pain and pain of the wound caused to one’s self-respect?
Answer: The difference between physical pain and pain of the wound caused to one’s self-respect is the physical pain may pass away soon and we may not bother about it after some time. But pain of the wound to our self-respect may poison our whole day.
5.) What is the first and the most important requirement of civility?
Answer: The first and the most important requirement of civility is that we should acknowledge a service.
6.) What did the “polite conductor” do for the author?
Answer: The author couldn’t pay the fare because he had forgotten his wallet. The conductor instead of throwing him out of the bus issued him the ticket happily. This was his act of kindness toward the author.
7.) Who had trampled on the author’s sensitive toe?
Answer: The conductor who had issued him the ticket was the same one who trampled on the author’s sensitive toe.
8.) The polite conductor told Bill, the driver, to wait and took him, himself, across the road.
a) left the blind man at the bus exit.
b) told Bill to take him across the road.
c) told Bill, the driver, to wait and took him, himself, across the road.
d) forced him out of the bus.
9.) Why was there a very fine weather on the polite conductor’s bus always?
Answer: It was always a very fine weather on the polite conductor’s bus because of his own civility, his conciliatory address and good humoured bearing which infected his passengers.
10.) What, according to the people is the cause for the dampening of the everyday civilities?
Answer: According to the people, the war has had a chilling effect upon those little everyday civilities of behaviour that sweeten the general air.
11.) Civilities can be got back in our day to day life by being more civil.
a) evoking the law.
b) being more civil.
c) paying rudeness with rudeness.
d) by punishing an uncivil person.
C2. Discuss the following questions in a group and answer.
1) Can law enforce civility? How?
Answer: The law can be enforced only when someone is physically assaulted/ or physical violence. But the law cannot compel us to say ‘please’ or be polite when we are talking. It cannot compel people on how to say or act. It doesn’t compensate for any moral and intellectual damages. The law cannot become the guardian of our private manners.
2) How does bad temper affect one’s life?
Answer: Bad temper always has negative impact. It infects other people soon and there is lot of negativity in general. It gets passed from one person to the other and the chain is created. We infect the world with our ill humours. Bad manners probably do more to poison the stream of the general life than all the crimes in the calendar.
3) Discuss the importance and effect of good manners.
Answer: Good manners are infectious. When someone with good manners talks to us we become happy. It is delight to see people with good manners. There is a certain kind of positivity when people have good manners. A person with good manners lightens his own spirit by lightening others’ spirits. He makes people’s day cheerful and happy. People with good manners are always remembered.
4) List out the instances in which the polite conductor showed his civil behaviour. Do you approve of his behaviour? Why?
Answer: The first incident when we come across the polite conductor is when he issued the bus ticket to the author when the author had forgotten his wallet and had nothing to pay for the far. In the second incident we saw that he was the same man who trampled the author’s toe. He very apologized the author. Another incident is when he helped the blind man cross the road ad reach the pavement. These three incidents tell how polite and helpful the conductor was. I not only approve his behavior but also wish to be like him in every situation. I like the fact that how he is positive all the time and helps everyone.
5) How could the lift man take a polite and effective revenge? Suggest a way to do so?
Answer: The liftman would have had a more subtle and effective revenge if he had treated the gentleman who would not say ‘Please’ with elaborate politeness. He would have had the victory, not only over the boor, but over himself, and that is the victory that counts.
C3. Answer the following.
1) It is easy to be civil at all times period. Do you agree? Why?
Answer: Yes, we can always be civil. At least we can try to be civil at all times. If someone is being rude to use we can reply him/her in a polite way. We may lose material advantage but we will always have the spiritual victory. It is important to be calm and have a polite attitude every time. Though it is not compulsory for us to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ but these words have big impact. We can use them as a sign of our politeness and courtesy.
3) Suggest some ways of encouraging people to adopt civil behaviour.
Answer:
1.) We should always be polite with others.
2.) We should afraid of saying ‘sorry’ or ‘thank you.’
3.) We should always have an opitimistic approach.
Vocabulary
V1.) Following are some synonyms of the word “uncivil”. Rearrange the jumbled letters to get meaningful words.
1.) u e d r – Rude
2.) o u u t n h c – Uncouth
3.) p d n i u t m e – Impudent
4.) c d o s i e t u y r s – Discourtesy
5.) t s o l n n i e – Insolent
6.) g y h u t a h – Haughty
7.) s o o m e r – Morose
8.) r o b o – Boor
V2.) Guess the words that could be used for a person with good manners. You can take the help of a thesaurus.
1.) Tolerant
2.) Kind
3.) Courteous
4.) Patient
5.) Gentle
6.) Solicitous
7.) Chivalrous
8.) Gallant
G1.) Identify the main clause and subordinate clause in the following sentences:
1.) Because I like you, I shall help you.
Answer: MC- I shall help you.
SC- Because I like you
2.) This is the house that Jack built.
Answer: MC- This is the house
SC- that Jack built
3.) No one knows who he is.
Answer: MC- No one knows
SC- who he is.
4.) It was unfortunate that you were absent.
Answer: MC- It was unfortunate
SC- that you were absent
5.) He has a son who made a name for himself.
Answer: MC- He has a son
SC- who made a name for himself.
Answer: MC- Type –SC-
G2.) Exercise : Mark the main clause and subordinate clause and state the type of subordinate clause in the following sentences.
1.) The workers, who were weary, lay down to rest.
Answer: MC- The workers , lay down to rest
SC- who were weary
Type – Adjective clause
2.) The exercise is so easy that I can do it.
Answer: MC- The exercise is so easy
SC- that I can do it.
Type – Adverb clause
3.) He admitted that he wrote the letter.
Answer: MC- He admitted
SC- that he wrote the letter
Type- Noun clause
4.) The thief crept as a jackal does.
Answer: MC- The thief crept
SC- as a jackal does.
Type- Adverb clause
5.) He has lost the book that his uncle gave him.
Answer: MC- He has lost the book
SC- that his uncle gave him
Type- Adjective clause
6.) I remember the house where I was born.
Answer: MC- I remember the house
SC- where I was born.
Type- Adjective clause
7.) Tell me why you did this.
Answer: MC- Tell me
SC- why you did this.
Type- Adverb clause
8.) When the righteous rule, the people rejoice.
Answer: MC- the people rejoice.
SC- When the righteous rule
Type- Adverb clause
9.) He showed how the problem could be solved.
Answer: MC- He showed
SC- how the problem could be solved.
Type – Noun clause
10.) I hope that I shall be there in time.
Answer: MC- I hope
SC- that I shall be there in time.
Type – Noun clause
11.) We have come that we may help you.
Answer: MC- We have come
SC- that we may help you
Type- Adverb clause
12.) The dog that bites does not bark.
Answer: MC- The dog
SC- that bites does not bark.
Type- Adjective clause
S1.) Read the following words aloud and identify the sounds ofthe plural markers and list them under the above three categories.
/s/
Maps
Books
Kites
Ducks
Bats
Shirts
Chalks
Hooks
/z/
Bags
Pens
Chains
Phones
Kites
Grains
Fishes
/iz/
Hedges
Hedges
Bottles
Benches
Taxes
Matches
S2.) The following conversation expresses a particular feeling. What it expressed in the following dialogue?
Answer: In the given dialogue we see there is an expression of gratitude of a boy. He is happy that his uncle brought him a thoughtful gift.
S3.) You are in the market carrying four heavy bags. An elderly person comes forward to help you. You accept the help. How would you express yourself to that person.
Stranger : Can I help you dear?
Yourself : Yes, please. Could you lift one of these heave bags for me?
Stranger : Sure.
Yourself : It is so kind of you.
Stranger : I’ll keep your bags here, will that be ok?
Yourself : Yes, Thank you very much. It is very nice of you to help me.
Reading skills.
Following are a few traffic signals. What do they indicate?
1.) Hospital
2.) Ambulance
3.) Restaurant
4.) No Entry
5.) No Horn please
6.) No parking
7.) School Zone
8.) Narrow Bridge
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